DA threatens legal action against Bosasa

Johannesburg - DA leader Mmusi Maimane is threatening legal action against facilities company, Bosasa, for its alleged failure to reveal whether it has business dealings with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s son, Andile.

Maimane’s threats came after Bosasa, now known as African Global, responded to the opposition party’s PAIA application in which Maimane wanted to know the contents of the contracts Bosasa had with Andile Ramaphosa. Maimane made the PAIA application on November 8 and he got the response on Thursday last week.

In his response, African Global chairperson John Gumede wrote “there exists no record that fits the description “contract and invoice of R500 000 financial consulting services provided by the President’s son Andile Ramaphosa to Bosasa (now African Global Operations).

In his application, Maimane asked Bosasa to verify Ramaphosa’s remarks in Parliament in which he said Andile “actually showed me a contract that he signed with Bosasa and the contract deals with issues of integrity, issues of anti-corruption, and all that”.

Last month, Ramaphosa surprisingly backtracked on his reply in Parliament that the R500000 was for a business service. Ramaphosa said the money was for his campaign conducted last year when he was contesting to be ANC president. However, he said this was done without his knowledge by Andile.

In his reply, Gumede said “African Global Operations declines to furnish this record as the record is not required by you for the exercise or protection of any right as required in terms of Section 50 (1) (a) of Act 2 of 2000 (The Act).”

On Sunday, Maimane described Gumede’s response as a blanket refusal for access to any and all contracts the company has with Andile Ramaphosa. “Bosasa and the Ramaphosas are hiding something, we will get to the bottom of it.

“I have therefore asked our legal team to advise on what recourse is available in such circumstances. We will not relent in this fight to shine light on what has all the makings of ANC-style collusion, nepotism and corruption,” Maimane said

Maimane said there appears to be a “triangle of corruption in place, adding this was the very same system that locked millions of South Africans out of opportunity.

“The fact that Bosasa gave a R500 000 donation to Cyril Ramaphosa’s campaign to become ANC president while the company does business with his son and received billions of rands in lucrative tenders from government cannot be ignored.

“It has been 14 days since I called on President Ramaphosa to immediately appoint a full-scale independent inquiry – headed by a retired judge to be selected by the Chief Justice – to fully investigate the Bosasa scandal, which now involves the president and his family.

“The president should do so without delay. Ramaphosa is not the only one to have benefited from Bosasa. “A long list of ANC ministers and others cadres of the party have received extensive security upgrades like CCTV cameras, alarm systems and electric fencing free of charge from Bosasa,” Maimane said.

“We cannot have double standards when it comes to bribery and corruption – particularly not when it involves the highest office of the country. The president’s links to Bosasa – including all pay made to him, to the ANC and to his son whether directly or through shell companies, third parties or trust accounts – must be investigated in detail,” Maimane said.

Presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko and Gavin Watson, Bosasa deputy chairperson who allegedly made the payments into the trust accounts, were not available for comment.